Missouri Valley League should not be confused with Missouri Valley Conference.
| Missouri Valley League | |
| Sport: | Minor League Baseball |
| President: | Dr. D.M. Shiveley (1902–1904) Richard Robertson, Jr. (1905) |
| Inaugural: | 1901 |
| Teams: | 23 |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Continent: | or |
| Continents: | --> |
| Folded: | 1905 |
| Most Champs: | 1 Nevada Lunatics (1902) Sedalia Gold Bugs (1903) Iola Gasbags (1904) Pittsburg Miners (1905) |
| Classification: | Independent (1901) Class D (1902–1903) Class C (1904–1905) |
| Related Comps: | Western Association |
The Missouri Valley League was an American minor league baseball league which operated from 1901 through 1905.
The Missouri Valley league formed in 1901 as an Independent league. The league consisted of teams in Kansas and Missouri: Columbus, Kansas, Fort Scott Memphis Route, Galena, Kansas, Joplin Colts, Monett Railroadmen, Nevada Reds, Oswego, Kansas and Pittsburg Coal Barons. 1901 league records and standings are unknown.[1]
In 1902, The teams in Nevada, Missouri, Fort Scott, Kansas and Joplin, Missouri remained. Sedalia, Missouri; Coffeyville, Kansas; Jefferson City, Missouri; Iola, Kansas and Springfield, Missouri joined as the Missouri Valley League became designated as a Class D level league. On June 23, the Coffeyville Indians, with a 9-30 record, relocated to Chanute, Kansas, where they compiled a 32–51 record.[2]
In the 1903 season, the teams in Chanute and Jefferson City folded. New teams in Leavenworth, Kansas, and Pittsburg, Kansas, formed and joined the league. The Nevada team, with a record of 21–39, relocated to Webb City, Missouri, on July 13, where their record was 0–4. The teams from Leavenworth and Webb City folded mid–season on July 16.[2]
In 1904, new teams in Leavenworth, Kansas, and Topeka, Kansas, formed and joined the league. After the 1904 season, the Missouri Valley League essentially reformed under a different name as five member teams formed under a new league. Joplin, Leavenworth, Sedalia, Springfield, and Topeka all joined the new 1905 Western Association. The Iola franchise folded. The Fort Scott and Pittsburg franchises remained in the 1905 Class C level Missouri Valley League. In 1905, South McAlester moved to Ft. Smith on July 6. Muskogee disbanded on August 31, causing the Missouri Valley League to end on September 5.[2] [3]
Chanute Oilers 1902
Columbus 1901
Coffeyville Indians 1902
Fort Scott Memphis Route (1901); Fort Scott Giants 1902–1905
Fort Smith Giants 1905
Galena 1901
Iola Gasbags 1902; Iola Gaslighters 1903; Iola Gasbags 1904
Joplin Colts 1901; Joplin Miners 1902–1904
Leavenworth White Sox 1903; Leavenworth Orioles 1904
South McAlester Giants 1905
Monett Railroadmen 1901
Muskogee Reds 1905
Nevada Reds 1901; Nevada Lunatics 1902–1903
Oswego 1901
Parsons Preachers 1905
Pittsburg Coal Barons 1901; Pittsburg Coal Diggers 1903–1904; Pittsburg Miners 1905
Sedalia Gold Bugs 1902–1904
Springfield Reds 1902; Springfield Midgets 1903–1904
Topeka Saints 1904
Tulsa Oilers 1905
Vinita Cherokees 1905
Webb City Goldbugs 1903, 1905
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada Lunatics | 86 | 38 | .694 | -- | James Driscoll | |
| Springfield Reds | 83 | 40 | .678 | 2.5 | Frank Hurlburt | |
| 80 | 44 | .645 | 6.0 | Fred Hornaday | ||
| Sedalia Gold Bugs | 72 | 48 | .600 | 12.0 | Joseph Roe / Fultz | |
| Joplin Miners | 56 | 66 | .459 | 29.0 | Claude Marcum / Wickhizer | |
| Coffeyville Indians / Chanute Oilers | 41 | 81 | .336 | 44.0 | Fred Porter / Larry Powers / Galbreath / Jack Jamieson | |
| Jefferson City Convicts | 40 | 85 | .320 | 46.5 | A.B. Carey / E.J. Miller | |
| Iola Gasbags | 34 | 90 | .274 | 52.0 | Dan Jenkins |
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedalia Gold Bugs | 86 | 47 | .647 | -- | W.J. Ferguson / R.N. Harrison | |
| Springfield Midgets | 82 | 48 | .631 | 2.5 | Frank Hurlburt | |
| 79 | 52 | .603 | 6.0 | A.H.Harris | ||
| Joplin Miners | 69 | 62 | .527 | 16.0 | Dave Joseph | |
| Fort Scott Giants | 71 | 64 | .526 | 16.0 | Fred Hornaday | |
| Pittsburg Coal Diggers | 39 | 95 | .291 | 47.5 | Claude East | |
| Nevada Lunatics / Webb City Goldbugs | 21 | 43 | .328 | NA | A.B. Cockerell | |
| Leavenworth White Sox | 15 | 50 | .231 | NA | Clyde Hughes |
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iola Gasbags | 83 | 41 | .669 | -- | Dad Risley | |
| Springfield Midgets | 77 | 46 | .626 | 5.5 | F. Smith / John Perrine / Frank Hulburt | |
| 77 | 49 | .611 | 7.0 | John Fillman | ||
| Sedalia Gold Bugs | 71 | 53 | .573 | 12.0 | E.E. Codding | |
| Pittsburg Coal Diggers | 57 | 64 | .471 | 24.5 | ||
| Leavenworth Orioles | 48 | 74 | .393 | 34.0 | Eli Cates / Elmer Smith | |
| Topeka Saints | 45 | 78 | .366 | 37.5 | ||
| Fort Scott Giants | 36 | 89 | .288 | 47.5 | Jack Bene / Louis Armstrong |
| Jacob Bauer | Sedalia | BA | .346 | Amos Morgan | Iola | W | 32 | ||
| Jacob Bauer | Sedalia | Hits | 178 | Ed Craig | Springfield | Pct | .826; 19–4 | ||
| John Root | Iola | SO | 224 |
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburg Miners | 75 | 26 | .743 | -- | H.O. Baldwin | |
| Parsons Preachers | 61 | 40 | .604 | 14.0 | John Hamilton | |
| 52 | 46 | .531 | 21.5 | G.A. Sabin / Mel Cooley / Dillard / Alex Sandheimer | ||
| Ft. Scott Giants | 49 | 52 | .485 | 26.0 | ||
| Webb City Gold Bugs | 47 | 54 | .465 | 28.0 | Elmer Meredith | |
| Tulsa Oilers | 44 | 58 | .431 | 31.5 | Charlie Schafft | |
| Vinita Cherokees | 41 | 63 | .394 | 35.5 | Ed Finney | |
| South McAlester Giants / Ft. Smith Giants | 33 | 63 | .344 | 39.5 | Joe B. Roe |
| Cy Stinson | Pittsburg | W | 22 | Cy Stinson | Pittsburg | CG | 30 | |
| Cy Stinson | Pittsburg | IP | 279 | William Burns | Pittsburg | Pct | .875; 21–3 | |